Machine for making fence-posts.



PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.

R. L. DENNISON. MACHINE FOR MAKING FENCE POSTS. PPLIQATIGN FILED APR.24,1905. RENEWP AUG 1, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS lM/EIVTDH ROBERT L. Dswmscw .i'llmllllllllllllllllll ill N0- 841,644. PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.

' R. L. DENNISON MACHINE FOR MAKING FENCE POSTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1905. RENEWED AUG. 1, 1906.

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R. L. DENNISON. MACHINE FOR MAKING FENCE POSTS. APPLICATION FILEDAPR.24, 1905. RENEWED AUG.1, 1906.

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4 SHEETS-SHEET 41 QHH MQHIH MMH 115! PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907. R. L.DENNISON. MACHINE FOR MAKING FENCE POSTS. APPLICATION FILED APR, 24,1905. RENEWED AUG. 1, 1906.

INVENTOR ROBERT L. DENNISON ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

' Fig. 6.

' TED STATES rnrnn orrrcn.

ROBERT L. DENNISON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

MAQHINE FOR-MAKING FENCE-POSTS.

Speeificationof Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 1 5, 1907.

Application filed April 24,1905. Renewed August 1, 1906. Serial No.328,763.

To all whom it ma, concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT LEE Denm- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resldmg "at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and parts, aswill be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2'is a partial vertical section on about line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section on about line 3 3 of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section drawn through the packer and thetripping devices operated thereby on about line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 isa side elevation, partly in vertical section, of a machine embodying theinvention, such Fig. 5 being taken in the direction of the arrow No. 5on Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of themachine,taken in the direction of the arrow No. 6 on Fig. 1. Fig. '7 is across-section on about line 7 7 of Fig. 8 is'a' detail side elevation ofa fence-post formed by the machine. Fig. 9 is a detail top plan view ofthe top plate of the revolving carrier. 'Fig. 10 is a detail enlargedsection showing the antifriction-bearings for the revolving Iormer, andFig. 11 is a cross-section on about line 1111 of Fig. 10.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a carrier revolvingabout a vertical axis and having a series of mold-boxes whose outerhalves or sections are hinged and can be opened when the latch devicesare re leasedby means of certain tripping devices, and this revolvingcarrier presents its moldboxes successively to a packing and fillingdevice by which the shale or other material is fed into the mold, thento a forming device, then to latch-releasing devices and to means foropening the outer sectionsor doors of the molds, and then to piercingdevices by which to form the holes and seats for the wire inthe post,means being provided for properly,

timing the several operations and for locking the means for turmng thecarrieragainst moving from one position to another until the operationswhich it is desired to effect have been completed.

In carrying out the invention I provide a foundation A, on which aremounted the posts B, which support the bed-plate O at a sulficientheight above the foundation to permit the carrier to operate itsmolds'between the bed-plate and the foundation, as shown in Figs. 5 and6. The foundationA has at a a step-bearing for the lower end of thecarrier-shaft D, the upper end of said shaft journaling in a yoke O,mounted upon the bed-plate'C. i This shaft D, it will be noticed, formsa part 'of the carrier, and by journaling the upper and lower ends ofthe shaft practically fix'edbearings I am able to secure an accurateturning of the carrier within the frame, so that the mold-boxes may bepresented successively in true register with the openings for the formerand for the packer, as

presently described.

The carrier is, shown as provided with a bottom plate E, a top plate F,the rnoldboxes Gr, anda top or crown H, mounted on the top plate F, thelatter fitting snugly within a central -opening .0 in the bed-plate C,as shown. an upwardly-projecting annular rib or flange H, which isnotched at intervals at 11 ,001-

"responding ethe respective mold-boxes G,

for engagenr lit by the stop-bar I, which 0perates tolgtck the, carrierfrom movement when desir'edi The crown or top portion H is alsoprovidediwith notches at'h for en-';

gagement by pawlsl J. on a rack-ring J, which encircles the top portionof the carrier and may be moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1-to turd the carrier in a correspond- The crown His provided withingdirection by the operation of the rack- 5 bar resently described, butmay be moved in t e reverse direction without disturbing the position ofthe carrier, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and. 5, the operation ofthe rack-bar J being effected through a cylinder and piston, as showninFig. 2, as will be more fully described.

. The mold-boxes G are made with the inner halves or sections G, fixedto the main frame ot the carrier, and with the outer halves or sectionsG which are hinged at G (see Fig.

I Fi 6 and to befreed from such engagement be ore the mold-box reachesthe. position shown at the bottom of Fi 7 by the engagement of the lowerend of t e rod K upon the inclined tripping device K, whereby to pushthe rod K up and to force its latch projections from engagement with thelugs K on the nold-section G so the opening device may operate to openthe section G as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings. This openingdevice'is shown as a'lever L, pivoted at L between'its ends, .sactuatedat one end by a spring L to cause its other end L to occupy t e positionshown in Fig. 7, in which it will engage a projection L on the outerside of the mold-box section G and open the moldbox after its latchdevices have been released by the operation before described. As themold-box travels by the movement of the carrier past the opening-leverL, such moldbox will be spread wide open in order that the formedfence-post may be exposed to the action of the iercing devices M(illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7) and including the upright bar M, providedon its inner. side with the projecting spikes or points M arranged toenter the formed posts, together with means whereby the piercing-b ar Mmay beactuated in both directions. These preferably include rack-bars Mprojecting horizontally outward from the bar M and meshing with toothedpinions M, which in turn are meshed tion to move the operate upon the byrack-teeth on an u right rack-bar M with which is connects one end of alever M, pivoted between its ends at M, having its 1puter end actuatedby a spring M norma whic the piercing-bar isretracted and arranged to beoperated in the reverse direcfpiercing-bar inwardly to ence-post by theengagement 'of the cross-head presently described, upon the inner end Mof the lever M, when said cross-head approaches its lowermost position,as will be more fully described here- I have now described the means forpresent the mold-boxes successively to the packing and forming devices,and to open said mold-boxes and to subject the formed osts therein tothe action of piercing devices for the purpose of producing the openingsshown at m in the fence-post, (illustrated in Fig. 8,) such openingsbeing useful for attaching' the wires of the fence, as will beunderstood by those skilled in'the art.

It should be understood that the interiors of the mold-boxes areconformed to the post which it is desired to produce, and therefore tothe position shown in Fig. 6, in

taper from end to end, and for convenience in operation are arrangedwith their larger ends uppermost.

The material is supplied from any.v suitable pug-mill or other suitablemixing-means or a pliance to a box or hopper N and is fed t ence throughan opening N in the bedplate C to the mold-box G by the action of theacker O, which is in the form of a screw, as sliown, and has its shaft Omovable vertically, so the screw may rise and fall in the operation ofthe machine. This screw 0 is operated from an electric or other'motor P,mounted on a platform Q, supported by posts Q above the bed-plate O, andthis electric or other motor may be controlled by suitable switchmechanism from a lever P, whose outer end is arranged for engagement bythe upper end of the shaft 0 of the packer, so that when the packerrises to its uppermost osition its shaft 0 will trip the lever P an stopthe motor P, the shaft of the motor being geared with a bevel-gear 0through which the shaft 0 may move longitudinally, and which is keyed tothe said shaft, so that the shaft 0 will be operated by the turning ofthe gear O in the operation of the invention.

In the operation of the invention when the packer O rises to itsuppermost osition it trips its motor P, and the devices or moving themold-carrier are operated to move the same, so that the packer 0 willrest at its lower end at k upon the upper surface of the "top plate ofthe packer-carrier and will be supported thereon until the next mold-boxis presented in position to be filled through'the' opening N. The packerwill then dro by gravity through the opening N and wil operate upon thematerial until the mold-box is filled, WllGIltllB continued revolutionof the packer will cause the same to ride upwardly out of the mold-boxand trip its motor to stop the revolution of the packer until the latteragain dro s by gravity into the next succeeding mol box. When the packerrises to its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 4, it operates uponone arm R of a bellcrank lever, which is pivoted at Rand. whose otherarm R en a es at R the safety-bar R, which is movab e ongitudinally tothe position shown in Fig. 4 by the action. of a spring R in whichposition the bar R bears beneath the fixed arm S of the bell-crank leverfor operating the valve S, controlling the admission of steam tothe-cylinder S for feeding the mold-carrier step by step in theoperation of the invention, as presently described. When the bellcranklever is rocked by a further upward movement of the packer" beyond theposition shown in Fig. 4,. it will draw the safety-bar R out frombeneath the arm S of the bellcrank lever for operating the valve,

and said arm S may be forced down upon the spring supporting red of thesafety bar,

ICC

which movement will be sufficient to shift the valve S (shown in Fig. 2)inorder tosecure the reverse movement of the iston in the cylinder S aswill be more ly described hereinafter. The purpose of this constructionis to prevent any movement of the devices for feeding the mold-carrierstep by step until the packer has completed its packing operation and ismoved u wardly clear of the mold-box in which it as just effected thepacking operation as desired.

After the plastic material has. been packed in the mold the latter isshifted from the packer to a position in alinement with the former T,which is directly beneath an opening T in the bed-plate O, the formeroperating through the openingT and acting upon the plastic material inthe mold With a pierc'- ing and a drilling action in such manner as tosecure a compression and packing of the material within the mold, sothat there will be produced a molded post whose walls will be of uniformdensity and thickness, ayoiding all inequalities of material which wouldhave a tendency to cause cracking or other injury to the fence- 0st inburning the same. To this end I ma e the former T tapered toward itslower end or point, provide on said former a spiral rib or thread t, andsupport the said former so it may be rotated in operation and may be feddown and up in the operation of the machine. To this end I journal theformer T at its upper end in a cross head U, which is guided and movesup and down on the uprights Q and supports gears U and U the gear Ubeing k -yed upon the former T and the gear U being keyed uponandmovable longitudinally along a shaft U which journals at its lowerend in the bed-plate C and at its upper end in the top plate Q and isprovided with a bevel-gear U which is meshed with a bevel-gear U on theshaft of a suitable motor U, whose switch-operating lever U is providedwith a depending rod U", arranged to be engaged by the cross-head U asthe latter ap roaches its uppermost position in order to t now the motorU out of operation when the former is out of the moldboxes.

The former T and the cross-head U are moved up and down by means of apiston operatin in a cylinder V, mounted on the top )late Q and havingits valve-chestV entered tained by a gland T screwed in the socket T andsurrounding the piston-rod V balls T and T bearing, respectively, aboveand-below the head V and reducing friction in the revolutions of theformer T, as will be understood from Figs. 5 and 10 of the drawings.Thus in operation the former T is raised and lowered by one set ofmechanism and is revolved by another set of mechanism and automaticallyoperates to cut the said mechanism into and out, of operation at theproper moment;

It is also desired to control the operation of i the rack-bar forgivingv the mold-carrier a step-by-step movement by the positions of theformer T, so that the mold-carrier will not be iven its advance movementuntil the former as been raised clear of the mold-box, In securing thisresult I provide a safety-bar 1", similar to the bar R and havingaspring r operating upon the rod extending from the safety-bar W, the barr having ashoulder r arranged for engagement by a catch on a rodextending from an arm r of a bell-crank lever 1', whose other arm 1* isconnected with a vertical slide-rod 1", (see Fig. 3,) on which isadjustablysecured a pawl or projection 1, which is engaged by thecross-head as the latter approaches its uppermost position, so thecross-head will operate to lift the rod r to cause the bell-crank lever1*, through the connections described, to move the safety-bar r frombeneath the bell-crank arm S, (see Fig. 2,) to permit the said arm S tolower in the operation which will presently be described.

As shown in Fig. 2, the safety-bars R and 1"? o erate beneath the armSofthe bellcran lever S This bell-crank lever has an upwardly-projectingfixed arm S a fixed arm S, extendingtoward the cylinder S and a fixedarm S extending in the o 'posite-direction from the arm S, the arminclining upwardly toward its free end and being ar- ICC ranged forengagement by a cam or projecy a pitman V from a rocker V which con-f 1devices before described. I also provide the nects with a depending rodV, having an up I rack J with a cam J 3, bearing beneath the 120 1 pershoulder or pro ection V ,and a lower lockrng-bar I and arranged torelease the shoulder or projection V, which are engaged b" thecross-head near its 11 er and lower same from engagement with thelocking-ring H at the upper end of the carrier preliminary positions inorder to operate the valve (not to moving the carrier by the operationof theshown) in the chest V to shift the same to rack-bar J. Thus inoperation the convenr25 admit steam or other power to the cylindertional exhaust-port functions as a steam- V in order to raise and lowerthe former T port, and when the partsv are in the position and itscrosshead. The piston-rod V has at shown in Fig. 2 it will be noticedthat the its lower end a head V operating in a socket T in the upper endof the former T and resafety-bars are both beneath the arm S of thebell-crank lever, and the valve is shifted 55 the mold-boxes, a lock forholding the car- &

to admit steam to the right-hand end of the cylinder S The cam J is alsobeneath the locking-bar I and in position to raise the said bar clear ofits notches. The steam operating in the right-hand end of the cylinder Swill now force the piston in said cylinder to the left and the rack-barJ will travel to the left, moving with it the carrier to the extent ofone step, and the cam )rojection J will ride upon the pressure-bar g anddepress the same, putting its spring S under tension; but the bell-cranklever will be held from movement by the safety-bars R and r until thelatter are withdrawn by means previously described. When these bars Rand 1" are withdrawn, the spring 8, being under tension, will force thebeil-crank arm S down, thus 0 crating the bell-crank to shift the valved to the left and admit steam to the left-hand end; of the cylinder, so.the piston will be forced to the light, carrying .with it the rack-baron its return stroke, and such bar will return the rack-ring to positionto bring its pawl into engagement with the proper notches in themold-box carrier, and the movement of the rack-bar to the right will bythe cam projection operating upon the bell-crank arm S shift the valve Sto the position shown in Fig. 2, and the piston will be quickly forcedto the left, operating to turn the carrier one step and bringing its camprojection to a point where it bears on the pressurebar and the furthershifting of the.

valve will be delayed until the safety-bars have been both withdrawn, asbefore de scribed. ,It will thus be noticed that I provide for shiftingthe mold-box carrier step by step at intervals and also provide meanswhereby to control such shifting of the moldbox carrier by means of thepacker and the former arranged and operating as fully set forth'in theprevious description.

What I claim is 1. The combination substantially as herein described, ofthe foundation, the bed-plate above the same, the top plate above thebedplate, posts supporting the bed-plate from the foundation, postssupporting the top plate from the bed-plate, the mold-boxes arrangedbetween the berhplate and foundation and having hinged sections or doorsat their outer sides, locking devices for securing said doors, trippingdevices for releasing the locking devices, a carrier movable between thebed-plate and foundation and supporting rier from movement, step-b stepdevices for moving the carrier and inc uding a rack-bar having a cam forreleasing the carrier-lock, a cam or projection for operating thevalverockeror bell-crank lever, and a piston and cylinder for operatingsaid rack-bar, the valve for the cylinder and the rocking bell-cranklever for operating said valve having a springpressed pressure-bar,safetybars for restraining the movement of said valve-rocker orbell-crank lever, a packer for filling the moldboxes, a former foroperating upon the material supplied to the said mold-boxes,intermediate devices between said packer and former and theirsafety-bars, whereby the movements thereof may operate the safetybarsforthe valve-operating rocker, a device for piercing the molded articleand intermediate devices between said. piercing devices and the formerwhereby the movement of the piercing devices is timed relatively to thesaid former, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination with a suitable framing, of a carrier journaledvertically therein, vertically-disposed mold-boxes supported by saidcarrier, a packer extending into and filling said mold-boxes, a formerfor operating for, a former movable longitudinally within themold-boxes, means for moving the former longitudinally, a cross headsupporting the former, gearing carried by the cross-head for turning theformer, and means for operating said gearing to effect the turning ofthe former, substantially as and for the purposes set forth' 4. Thecombination of a mold-box having a laterally-opening door and a formerr-evolving and moving longitudinally in said box, the diameter of'theformer being sub stantially smaller than that of the box whereby theformer may pack the molded material laterally toward the mold-box.

5. A machine for molding plastic articles, comprising a mold-box, havinga laterallyopening door and a tapered spiral former operating thereinfor boring out the center and building up the walls of a molded articlein said box, the diameter of the spiral former being substantiallysmaller than that of the box whereby the former may pack the moldedmaterial laterally toward the mold-box.

. 6. The combination in a machine for molding plastic articles, of acarrier revolving on a vertical axis and having a series of moldboxescomprising fixed inner sections and" hinged outer sections or doors,locking devices for securing said doors and projecting downwardly belowthe carrier, tripping devices bclow the carrier for releasing thelockingdevices and a device along the outer side of the carrier in position toabut and open the hinged doors of the mold-boxes subsequent to therelease of the locking device therefor, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a mold-box having an outer hingedsection ondoor,means for locking the dooryfmeans for releasing the door, means foropening the door subsequent to the .unlocking thereof, a piercing barand means operating the pinions whereby to move the piercing-bar towardand from the mold-box, substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine for molding plastic artiticles comprising a bed-plate, atop plate supported from the bed-plate, mold-boxes arranged below thebed-plate and having hinged sections or doors at their outer sides,locking devices for securing said doors, tripping device or releasingthe locking devices,

- a device .ranged alongside the path of the mold-boxes in position toengage and open the hinged doors thereof, and a perforating devicearranged to pierce the molded article in the mold-box after the doorthereof has been opened, substantially as set forth.

9. In a machine substantially as described,

the combination of amold-box having an inner'fixed section and an outermovable section or door, vmeans for opening the outer section of themold-box, and a piercing device for piercing the molded article withinsaid open mold-box and operating opposite the fixed mpld-box section,substantially as set forth.

- 10. The combination with the mold-box having a movable section ordoor, a lock for the door, means for releasing the lock, aspring-actuated bar for opening the door, and a piercing device forpiercing a molded article within said box when the door is opened.

11. The combination of-a sectional moldbox, a piercing device includinga bar extending longitudinally alongside the said mold-box,laterally-extending racks connected with said bar, an upright rack,pinions meshing with said upright and lateral racks, and means foroperating the upright rack, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination with a mold-box, of a. piercing device including abar extending longitudinally parallel with the said moldbox, andprovidedwith piercing projections, and racks and pinions for moving thesaid bar toward and from the mold-box, substantially as set forth. t

'13. The combination of a revolving carrier, mold-boxes supportedthereby and having doors at their outer sides, means for look ing thedoors, means below the carrier for releasing said locking devices, andmeans along the outer side of the carrier for opening the doors,subsequent to said unlockii g operation.

14. The combination of the mold-boxes divided longitudinally intosections, upright locking-bars for said sections, an abutment forengagement by said locking-bar, whereby to release the same, and acarrier for the mold-boxes whereby to bring the lockingbars thereof intoengagement with the re- Teasing-abutment.

15. Thecombination of the carrier provided with mold-boxes dividedlongitudinally into sections, means for feeding the said carrier step bystep, locking-"bars for the sections of the mold-boxes,- an abutment forengagement by the said locking-bars to release the latter, an openingdevice for openiercing the molded article within the moldox, theabutment, the opening device, and the piercing device being arrangedinposition succeeding each other, whereby the carrier will present themold-boxes to the abutment, the opening device and the piercing devicein the order named.

16 The combination with the horizontal bed-plate having openings for apacker and a former, and the carrier having verticall disposed moldboxesoperating beneath t e said bed-plate and registering with the saidopenings, of means for feeding the carrier step by step, a packer for,filling the moldboxes, and a former for operating upon the materialWithin the said mold-boxes, sub- 7 stantially as set forth.

17. The combination with the revolving carrier and its mold-boxes, ofthe piercing device, means for operating said piercing device includingan arm projecting into the path of a cross-head, a former for operatingupon the material in the mold-boxes, and a reciprocating cross-head inconnection with said former and arranged to engage and actuate the armfor operating the piercing device, substantially as set forth.

ing the mold-boxes, and a piercing device for ioo 18. The combinationwith the carrier and I its mold-boxes, of a packer for filling theboxes, a former for operating upon the material in the boxes, a piercingor perforating device for operating upon the molded articles, and meansfor moving the carrier step by step whereby to present the mold-boxessuccessively to the packing, former, and piercing devices, substantiallyas set forth.

19! The combination of suitable framing, a carrier having the mold-boxesand provided With an upwardly-projecting annular rib notched atintervals for the locking-bar, means for moving the carrier step by stepincluding a reciprocating bar and connections between the same and thecarrier, and means whereby the said reciprocating bar may release thelocking-bar from engagement with the rib or flange of the carrier,substantially forced longitudinally by the material filled into saidboxes, a motor device for operating said packer, and means whereby themovement of the packer by material filled in the box will throw themotor device out of gear, substantially as set forth.

21. The combination with a revolving carrier, and its moldboxes, and aformer for operating upon the material supplied to said mold-boxes, ofmeans for moving the former lon itudinally, means for turning theformer, an means whereby the longitudinal movement of the former maycontrol the operation of its turning and longitudinally-moving devices,substantially as set forth.

22. The combination in a machine for molding plastic articles, of themold-boxes, a tapered spiral former movable longitudinally intosaid'boxes, a cylinder above and having its piston-rodv connected withthe former for moving the said former longitudinally and means forturning the former, substantially asset forth.

' 23. The combination with the revolving carrier, and its mold-boxes,the packer and the former, of devices for movin the carrier step by stepand including a rac -bar, a piston and cylinder and valve-operatingdevices in connection with said cylinder and including a bell cranklever having a rocker provided with an arm and a pressure-bar overlyingsaid arm, and arranged for operation by the rack-bar, safety-barsmovable to and from a position beneath said arm andits overlyingpressure-bar, and intermediate devices between said safety-bars and theformer and packer, whereby they may be controlled respectively by thesaid packer and former, substantially as set forth.

24. i The combination in a machine for molding plastic articles, of thecarrier, means for moving said carrier step by step and including arack-bar, a cylinder and valve-operating'devices including a rockerhaving a bell-crank arm and a pressure-bar overlying the arm, andarranged for operation by the rack-bar, and a safety bar or bars movableto and from position beneath the arm of the bellcrank rocker,substantially as set forth.

25. The combination of a revolvlng carrier and 1ts mold-boxes, a packeroperatmg vertically in said boxes and arranged to dropby gravity intothe boxes and to be fed upwardly by the acciunulating material'in saidboxes, motor devices for revolving said packer, and means whereby saidmotor devices may be thrown out of operation by the packer when thelatter reaches its upper position.

ROBERT L. DENNISON.

Witnesses: I

SoLoN C. KEMON, PERRY B. TURPIN.

